This invention relates generally to safety-type ski bindings, and, more particularly, to ski bindings of the type which permit the boot and ski to yieldably separate when the force applied exceeds a safe level, and which also incorporate an automatic boot-to-ski return capability.
As outlined in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,682, the specification of which is hereby incorporated into the present application, it is now common practice to couple a ski boot to a ski with a safety binding that allows the boot to separate from the ski in the event of an abnormal force situation which would otherwise pose a risk of injury. A wide variety of types of such bindings has been provided, and many have adjustment features to enable the break-out or release force level to be varied in accordance with the skill, physical characteristics and condition of the skier. An additional safety feature found on most types of bindings is that complete escape of the ski after release from the ski boot is prevented by the provision of various types of separate leash arrangements.
The two aforementioned patents disclose a ski binding of a type which represented a substantial departure from conventional ski binding design, in that an extensible-retractable cable serves both as a force-applying link between the boot and the ski, and as a ski-retaining leash. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,682, the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed includes a soleplate detachably coupled to the boot, the soleplate carrying the operative parts of the binding, which include two connecting units, one at the heel and one at the toe. Each unit comprises an elongated, flexible leash arranged for extension and retraction, the extension being yieldably resisted by biasing means also mounted in the soleplate. The end of each leash is connected to mounting elements on the top of the ski, and force-controlling means in each unit are arranged to control the force applied to the leash as the boot moves away from the ski. Preferably, as in the disclosed embodiments in the referenced patent, a relatively high force is maintained between the boot and the ski when the boot is in close proximity to the ski, but the force decreases with separation for safety purposes.
The ski binding disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,682 has proven to be highly satisfactory and has been accepted by skiers of all skill levels. However, there has remained a need for a ski binding having similar, desirable operating characteristics to those of the prior invention, but having even simpler construction and, as a result, a lower cost. It is to this need that the present invention is directed.